This week, we break tradition a bit from our usual review of science and science fiction books to journey back into the tie-dyed era of the early 1960s and a murder mystery that takes the reader into the darkened recesses of Washington politics. [Read more...]

What if the South had won Gettysburg? Or if the U.S. had never entered World War I? Or Roosevelt never built the bomb at Einstein’s urging? These are just some alternate histories that are intriguing to consider. Or are we in fact living in an alternate timeline now? [Read more...]

Though speculative fiction makes up a Lion’s (Wookies’?) share of the reading that we frequently do (and review), we always make it a point to venture outside of the familiar. Hey, it’s all part of that being a “well-rounded writer & reader,” and all that stuff. [Read more...]

Never get on the bad side of a paladin, especially when that paladin is Eva Forge, avatar of Morgan. This week, we look at The Horns of Ruin, by Tim Akers out this past November from Pyr Books. Mr. Akers is also the author of the Heart of Veridon out in 2009. The Horns of Ruin gives us a sword and sorcery look at a fantastic world ruled by gods and the warriors that champion them.

Alright; this post has been a long time in coming… a few months back, we reviewed Escape Pod as one of the ultimate greats in science fiction podcasting. More than once, we’ve heard host Steve Ely refer to wonders of a podcast known as The Drabblecast. Noting that it’s the only podcast out there that’s he’s routinely jealous of is high praise indeed, so we vowed to give it a listen. We’re now totally hooked! In fact, with the current hiatus of Escape Pod, The Drabblecast has moved to top of our pod catcher list. Advertized as “bringing strange stories to strange listeners…” host Norm Sherman never fails to bring quality stories on a weekly basis. And I wouldn’t merely pigeon hole the content as just sci-fi; the strangeness can cover the intersecting genres of horror, fantasy, and often lends a Twilight Zone bent to things. Norm’s production skills and comedy input is first rate, and from rotifers to art and Mongolian Death Worms gone mad, his insight never fails to amuse. Check out Norm’s musical and video compilations as well; he’s truly a jack of all trades. So just when does he like, eat or take in sustenance? Or has his alien species evolved past such menial things?

The tone of The Drabblecast reminds us of the old live radio shows of old, were the narrators were responsible for providing their own sound effects. Mr. Sherman takes a direct lineage with these broadcasters of yore to new digital heights. A nod to this styling was even given in the recent two part saga, The Golden Age of Fire Escapes, complete with authentic scratchy commentator voicing.

So, what, might you ask, is a drabble? Although the etymology of the term is subject to some controversy, the term is generally attributed to Monty Python circa 1971. A drabble is a short-short story or “Flash fiction” piece of exactly 100 words. These are also showcased in the Drabblecast, and Norm suggests you try it out and submit one (or one hundred) to him. I find Drabbles a wonderful way to “kick start” the creative writing juices; they say that no one likes the writing process, but everyone likes the feeling of having written. A drabble is a good way to get that quick warm fuzzy feeling without having to push the brink of insanity by writing at a Stephen King-like pace.

And for those who feel a drabble is just too much, Mr. Sherman even features “Twitfic” from a certain 140- character site. Follow him as @Drabblecast and perhaps belt out one of your own.

Now in its third year, The Drabblecast is at 161 episodes and counting. Each podcast episode is also commemorated by unique icon artwork contributed by the fans. I find like Escape Pod, The Drabblecast is best consumed in those moments before sleep invades consciousness, although we can’t vouch for what might happen to your sanity if you load up your pod-catcher with every episode and simply doze off. In the last few months, some of our favorite episodes have been;

The Second Conquest of Earth by L.J. Daly: Alien invasion with a twist; conquest is long over, but humans may yet gain dominion over their captors in a unique way. I love it when a new spin can be put on an old theme!

The Drabblecast also hosts several three story Trifecta episodes, all of which have been outstanding! In closing, I’d say if you only listened to one fiction podcast on a weekly basis, let The Drabblecast be it. Downloads are up on ITunes or straight MP3 feed for the rest of the internet universe. And don’t forget the Mega Beasts and Drabblecast B-Sides links! This is definitely a load up for a desert island kinda podcast… and just think, you’ll be hip, uber-cool, and down in with some of the coolest in strange fiction, sci-fi or otherwise!

Astro Documentaries

Pictured is a Delta IV rocket launch from Cape Canaveral on November 21st, 2010. The image is a 20 second exposure taken at dusk, shot from about 100 miles west of the launch site. The launch placed a classified payload in orbit for the United States Air Force.

DIY Astronomy

Difficult but not impossible to catch against the dawn or dusk sky, spotting an extreme crescent moon can be a challenge. The slender crescent pictured was shot 30 minutes before sunrise when the Moon was less than 20 hours away from New. A true feat of visual athletics to catch, a good pair of binoculars or a well aimed wide field telescopic view can help with the hunt.

The Sun is our nearest star, and goes through an 11-year cycle of activity. This image was taken via a properly filtered telescope, and shows the Sun as it appeared during its last maximum peak in 2003. This was during solar cycle #23, a period during which the Sun hurled several large flares Earthward. The next solar cycle is due to peak around 2013-14.

Astronomy Gear Reviews

Located in the belt of the constellation Orion, Messier 42, also known as the Orion Nebula is one of the finest deep sky objects in the northern hemisphere sky. Just visible as a faint smudge to the naked eye on a clear dark night, the Orion Nebula is a sure star party favorite, as it shows tendrils of gas contrasted with bright stars. M42 is a large stellar nursery, a star forming region about 1,000 light years distant.

Astronomical Observing Targets

Orbiting the planet in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) every 90 minutes, many people fail to realize that you can see the International Space Station (ISS) from most of the planet on a near-weekly basis. In fact, the ISS has been known to make up to four visible passes over the same location in one night. The image pictured is from the Fourth of July, 2011 and is a 20 second exposure of a bright ISS pass.

Next to the Sun, the two brightest objects in the sky are the Moon and the planet Venus. In fact, when Venus is favorably placed next to the Moon, it might just be possible to spot the two in the daytime. Another intriguing effect known as earthshine or ashen light is also seen in the image on the night side of the Moon; this is caused by sunlight reflected back off of the Earth towards our only satellite.

A mosaic of three images taken during the total lunar eclipse of December 21st, 2010. The eclipse occurred the same day as the winter solstice. The curve and size of the Earth’s shadow is apparent in the image.